Anchor clamp



l Patented Nov. 27, 1922i. I

'UNHTEQ STATES :KENT A. HAWLEY, OF :B1-XLTIMOIRE,V MARYLAND, ASSGNOR TOLOCKE INSULATOB COR- Y '4 POB/ATION, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ACORE'OBATION OF MARYLAND.

ANCHOR CLAMP.

The invention relates to anchor clamps used in connection with theconduct-ors of transmission lines for holding the conductor understrain.V -5 The principal object of the invention, generally stated, isto provide an improved clamp so designed that it may be attached to ataut conductor with the insulators attached to it, the varrangementbeing such that when the load is slacked off from the pulled end of theconductor it is transferred to the insulators without damaging them. y

An important object of the invention is to provide a clamp of thischaracter embodying clamping means to which are attached links which inturnare connected. to an insulator or string thereof, an arm beingfurthermore 'provided on the links for holding the conductor away fromthe insulators during the slacking off and subsequently to guide theconductor around the insulators.

A still more important object is to provide a clamp of this character inwhich the connection of the links with the clamping member itself liesalong, or substantially along, the

longitudinal center line of the conductor so as to obtain a straightline pull, the connection of the links with the clamping means being ofa character permitting ready assembly and providing a certain amount ofdesirable looseness so that the parts may properly accommodatethemselves to the line of pull.

Another object is to provide a clamp of this character in which themeans for holding and guiding the conductor away from the insulatorsneed not be itself formed as a clamp.

Still another object is to provide a clamp of this character having abell mouth of considerable length and having a large radius so as topermit the unavoidable vibration of the conductor without the bringingof bending strains at any localized point on the conductor, Y

An additional object is to provide a clamp of this character which issimple andinex pensive to manufacture, easy to assemble and install,positive in action, efficient and durable in service, and a generalimprovement in the art.

-To theV attainment of the foregoing and other objects and advantages,the invention preferably consists in the details of construction and thearrangement and combination of parts to be hereinaftermore fullydescribed 1927. Serial No. 185,249.

and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which: i

Figure l is a plan view of a clamp constructed in accordance with theinvention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof, and

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure l.

Referring more particularly to the drawing l have shown the clamp ascomprising coacting clamping members l and 2 together with suspensionmeans 3 and conductor hold ing means associated therewith. The member lis shown as comprising or formed as an elongated body which may beconcavoconvex in cross section as illustrated or which may simply haveits upper surface l channeled or grooved to receive and supporttheconductor or cable 5, the member l being provided intermediate its endswith any desired number of laterally extending lugs 6 apertured for thepassage of the arms 7 of U-bolts 8 which straddle the member 2 and whichcarry nuts 9. At one end the member' l is formed with a downwardlycurved portion or extension l0 for a purpose to be described.

The member 2 is elongated in shape and may likewise be concavo-convex incross section or simply provided with a channel or groove ll in itsundersurface for substantially conforming engagement with the cable orconductor 5. At points intermediate its ends this member 2 is providedwith spaced ribs l2 or is otherwise formed to provide curved seats 13for the bight portions of the U-bolts 8. Vhen the nuts 9 are applied andscrewed down tightly the bolts 8 will act to force the members l and 2into clamping relation to the conductor 5 so that any slippage thereofwith respect to the clamp will be prevented. At its end adjacent theextension l0 the member 2 is provided or formed with a widened head 14cut back from its end as shown to provide an opening l5 and ears 1G atopposite sides thereof, these ears strad- 10u dling the member l nearthe extension 10. lThe ears are formed or otherwise provided withlaterally extending trunnions 17 having heads 18 which may be oval orelliptical in shape or otherwise formed to project beyond the trunnionsin a direction toward the opposite end of the clamp. The purpose-ofthese trunnions will be hereinafter explained.

The other ends of the members l and 2, that is, the ends most remotefrom the extension clearly indicated at 19 to provide what may be calleda bell mouth which has. prei'erably,

a long radius in order to permit lateral movc-V ment ci' the cable orconductor with respect to the clamp, such as must occur during ordinaryvibration resulting trom Wind, etc., Without causing the conductor tobend lsharply. This is an important i'cature as it highly necessary toprevent any bending ot the material oi"- the 'conductor with sullicientabruptness to cause weakening, chaling or breaking as' might otherwiseoccur.

The suspension means tor the clamp is here represented as including apair ot linlis 20 spaced apart and having secured betvsccthem a rigidcurved or angular arm 2l termed With a diagonal groove E22 With anoverhanging flange 23 beneath Whirl] the conductor may be engaged forguiding it string ot' insulators, not shofvn. the linlrs 2O may beprovided v. i for their attachment to Whatever desired, and their otherends are preferably diverged or oil'set outwardly to straddle the headle, these second mentioned ends bein termed with openings 25corresponding s b ntially tothe shape of the heads 1S as to permitengagement upon the trunnions l?. titer such engagement is eii'ected itis apaarent that upon relative movement ot `the clamp and links theheads 1S ivill overlap lthe links at one side ot the openings 25 thereiniid prevent separation.

The curved extension l() above referred to acts as a guide so that theconductor 5 Will be led naturally to the diagonal groove 2Q provided'for its reception, any kinkiug or abrupt bending being avoided.

The device is used in substantially the saine manner as other anchorclamgs, the concluetor 5 being engaged between and clan'iped by themembers l and 2, the securing action being eiiected by means of thelil-boire and nuts in an obvious manner. lloivewn. it will be observedthat the trunnions l? are located substantially in line With tlie lonitudinal aXi-s of the conductor so thata st .-t pull will be exerted,any canting or angling being consequently avoided. The cutting bacl: oiIthe material or equivalent structure to dciine the opening l5 providesthe nec .csary clearance With respect to cable at this point a nd givesgreater freedom. lt will. obsevcd that the clamp is so designed tha maybe attached to a taut conductor with the in l attached to it. Willianthe load is sla` l from the pulled and of the conductor transferred tothe insulators Without damaging them. The rigid arm 2l ivill act to holdthe conductor or cable away from the insulators during the abovementioned slacking oil? process and will subsequently guide theconductor in its direction around the insulators. By providing thediagonal slot or groove 22 it is apparent that it will be unnecessary toLassalle provide a clamp lor this portion of the con ductor though it isconceivable that one might be used it found necessary, it being old todo so. Y, Y

From the foregoing description A and a study ot the drawing it will beapparent that l have thus .provided a comparatively simple and in-V-eiipensive clamp which embodies only a i'ew parts, which is providedwith adequate means for clan'iping and suspension, and vvnich is inevery Way Well capable oit performing all the functions for which it isintended. It is believed that the construction, operation and advantagesWill be readily apparent to one skill-ed in the art Without 'furtherexplanation. v

"While l have shown and describedthepre terred embodiment ci" theinvention and certain specilic details of construction, it should beunderstood that the disclosure is merely an encmplitication of thegeneral features involved and that the right is reserved to maire allauch changes as wiil not depart from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the claims hereunto appended. Y

Having thus described the invention, l claim:

` l. ln a clamp of the character described, the combination ot coactingclamping members adapted to be clampingly engaged upon and with aconductor, and suspension connected therewith substantiallyV in linewith the longitudinal axis or the conductor, and an arm carried by thesuspension means at the intermediate portion thereof and engageable withthe conductor at a point spaced from the clamping members.

ln a clamp ot the character described, the combination ot a pair etmembers adapted to receive a conductor between them, means for holdingsaid members in clamping engagement with respect to the conductor,outivardl-yextending trunnions formed integrally on one oi' the members,andlinlrs pivotally engaged with said trunnions. l

3. ln a clamp of the character describen, the combination of a pair otmembers adapted to receive a conductor between them, means for holdingsaid members in clamping engagement vgith respect to the conductor, out-War( extending trunnions formed' integrally on one 'ot the members andlinks pir/2 otally engaged with said trunnions, said trirh nions beinglocated substantially in line i. the longitudi-nal.L s of the conductor.

d. .ln clamp ot the character described` the combination oi a p r otmembers adapt-ed to receive a conductor between them, means for holdingsaid members in 'clamping engagement with respect to the conductoiyout!isa jeeting beyond one side thereof, said links having openings toreceiveV said heads and to be Voverlapped thereby upon relativelongitudinal movement of the assembled clamping members with respecttothe links.

5. In a clamp of the charac-ter described, a pair of members havingtheir confronting faces grooved for substantially conforming receptionof a conductor, means securing said members in clamping relation to theconductor, one of said members having a downwardly curved extension atone end and the other having its corresponding end arranged instraddling relation to the first named member adjacent the extension,said end of the second named member being formed with laterallyextending trunnions, and links pivotally engaged upon said trunnions.

6. ln a clamp of the charac-ter described, a pair of members havingtheir confronting faces grooved for' substantially conforming1 receptionof a conductor, means securing said members in clamping relation to theconductor, one of said members having a downwardly curved extension atone end and the other having its corresponding end arranged instraddling relation to the first named member-adjacent the extension,said end of the second named member being formed with laterallyextending trunnions, and links pivotally engaged upon said trunnions,said trunnions having means for preventing disconnection from the links.

7. In a clamp of the character described, a pair of members having theirconfronting faces curved 'in cross section, said members being adaptedto receive a conductor between them, one member having laterallyextending lugs, U-bolts straddling both members and passing through saidlugs, nuts on said bolts for clamping the members upon the conductor,trunnions projecting laterallyin opposite directions from one end of oneof said members, and links having openings therein engaged upon saidtrunnions.

8. A clamp of the character described com- -prising a pair ofclampingmembers adapted for engagement upon a conductor, bolt means forsecuring said members ,in clamping relation to the conductor, one ofsaid members having a downwardly curved extension at one end, the othermember having its correspondingend enlarged to define a head formed withan opening and ears at opposite sides of the opening, said ears beingarranged in straddling relation to the first named member near thecurved extension thereon, trunnions projecting laterally from the ears,and links straddling the ears and pivotally engaged upon the trunnions.

' 9.` A clamp of the character described comprising a pair of clampingmembers adapted for engagement upon a conductor, bolt means for securingsaid members in clamping relation to the conductor, one of said membershaving a downwardly curved extension at one end, the other member havingits corresponding end enlarged to define a head formed with an openingand ears at Opposite sides of the opening, said ears being arranged instraddling relation to the first named member near the curved extensionthereon, trunnions projecting laterally from the ears, and linksstraddling the ears and pivotally engaged upon the trunnions, thetrunnions having elongated heads and the links having correspondinglyelongated openings.

l0. In a clamp of the character described, a pair of members engageableupon a conductor, means -for clamping said members together, integraltrunnions at one end of one of the members, links engaged upon thetrunnions for anchoring the assembled members, the other ends of saidmembers being flared into bell mouth form.

ll. ln a clamp of the charactervdescribed, a pair of members engageableupon a conductor, means for securing the members together in clampingrelation to the conductor, trunnions projecting laterally from onemember at one end thereof, a pair of links pivotally engaged unon saidtrunnions, and a rigid arm depending from the links and having adiagonal undercut groove therein for the reception of the conductor.

l2. In a clamp of the character described, a pair of members engageableupon a conductor, means for securing the members together in clampingrelation to the conductor,

Vtrunnions projecting laterally from one member at one end thereof, apair of links pivotally engaged upon said trunnions, and a rigid armdepending from the links and having a diagonal undercut groove thereinfor the reception of the conductor, the other of said members having adownwardly curved eXtension thereon beneath the trunnions for leadingthe conductor to said groove.

i3. ln a clamp of the character described, a. clamping part, hingedlinks attached thereto, a rigid arm carried by the links, and a meansfor engaging and guiding the conductor at the end of the rigid arm.

14. ln a conductor clamp of the character describecha clamping part,hinged links atached thereto, and a rigid arm carried by the links, thearm having a diagonal undercut groove therein for the reception of theconductor held by the clamping part.

ln testimony whereof lvaflix my signature.

KENT A. HAWLEY.

